As Leo Varadkar set to become Ireland PM, kin celebrate in Mumbai

As the Indian origin Leo Varadkar today won the leadership race of his party for Ireland's Prime Ministership, there was late night celebration in the family thousands of miles away in suburban Borivali here.

Varadkar, an Indian-origin doctor and Ireland’s first openly gay minister, today won the leadership race for the ruling party to become the country’s youngest-ever and first homosexual Prime Minister-in-waiting.(Reuters)

As the Indian origin Leo Varadkar today won the leadership race of his party for Ireland’s Prime Ministership, there was late night celebration in the family thousands of miles away in suburban Borivali here. Varadkar, an Indian-origin doctor and Ireland’s first openly gay minister, today won the leadership race for the ruling party to become the country’s youngest-ever and first homosexual Prime Minister-in-waiting.

His cousin Shubhada told PTI, “We are extremely happy to hear the news. We were closely watching his campaign as well as today’s counting. As the news broke, we cut the cake and celebrated his success. “I have not yet decided about my Ireland visit but I would love to meet him as soon as possible,” she said.

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Varadkar, 38, will officially take over as Taoiseach, as the Irish prime ministerial title is known in Ireland, in Parliament later this month after he was declared the winner in the leadership race for the Fine Gael party.

The Dublin-born son of Mumbai-born Ashok Varadkar and Irish mother Miriam, served as Ireland’s welfare minister and had emerged as the most popular choice since he announced his candidacy after current leader Enda Kenny stepped down as prime minister earlier this year.

His family originates from Varad, a village in Gujarat, and Leo Varadkar kept his Indian connect alive, completing an internship at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.